About the ADS Water Quality Unit & Infiltration System
General Information Performance Data Water Quality Treatment Process Design


The ADS Water Quality Unit & Infiltration System does an exceptional job of removing nearly all of the pollutants commonly associated with stormwater performance assessment. It also exhibits a tremendous capacity to reduce peak flows and reduce runoff volume in appropriate soils.


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About the ADS Water Quality Unit & Infiltration System

The subsurface Advanced Drainage Systems (ADS) Water Quality Unit & Infiltration System is a treatment train that combines a water quality treatment unit (WQU) for pretreatment with a larger infiltration unit (IU). At UNHSC, it has demonstrated a strong water quality treatment performance and a tremendous capacity to reduce peak flows. It should be noted that the design tested at the UNHSC is distinctive in its use of coarse sand for a reservoir base and filter course, a refinement that enhances its effectiveness in treating water quality.

Where to Use It

Treatment trains like the ADS Water Quality Unit & Infiltration System can be used in most parts of the country. In general, they are best suited to locations where space is at a premium, and are often used in urban areas, where they generally are located beneath parking lots and other transportation infrastructure.

As with any infiltration system, care must be taken when locating these systems near pollution hotspots, or where seasonal high groundwater levels may lead to groundwater contamination. In such cases, the systems should be lined to prevent infiltration into groundwater, and outfitted with subdrains that discharge to the surface.

Implementation

ADS Water Quality Unit & Infiltration Systems are widely used, and the implementation of similar underground infiltration systems is becoming increasingly common in urban development.

While they tend to be more expensive than conventional stormwater treatments, the cost of these systems is ameliorated by the increase in available space for development. The cost to install an ADS system large enough to treat runoff from one acre of impervious surface was $50,000. No maintenance was performed on this system during two years of service.

Designs for the ADS Water Quality Unit & Infiltration System are available from the manufacturer.